Another Great Chain Robbery in a decade for Marlborough?

Once there were links of heavy old (and sought after) iron chain surrounding the entire Green on both side of Herd Street, and also surrounding the War Memorial at the Salisbury Road junction with London Road. All have now disappeared. Several hundred metres and of a weight to be measured in tonnes. So not the Gold and gem-studded Mayoral chain that disappeared in 2013 in Marlborough’s other ‘Great Chain Robbery’. Nigel Kerton, retired former editor of this area’s local paper asked the Town Council -‘What happened?’

Nigel’s point is that this ancient chain is made from sought after – and now expensive, even as scrap – old ‘pre-nuclear iron’, and was it stolen? Was it just cut out? How, when and why? He further adds that the iron used for this chain pre-dates all the nuclear tests of the post-WWII period so is devoid of any radiation and nowadays has a value far greater than contemporary iron. And maybe several tonnes – worth a significant amount.

Nigel asked the question to the last meeting of the Full Town Council on 1 September. He was there again last night (Monday 3 November) to follow up and ask about the old iron gates and fence between the two town cemeteries adjacent to The Common, which had also disappeared, but additionally to seek answers regarding to the disappearing chain. The Town Clerk replied that the ironwork on The Common was seen as a ‘Health & Safety’ hazard and removed ‘at no cost to us’ but was unable to shed any light on the disappearing chain. No records of its disappearance, no instructions to remove given and no report to the Police that it had been stolen.

So maybe, this should be renamed the ‘Great Chain Robbery Mystery’……

The other ‘Great Chain Robbery’ that hit Marlborough happened in October 2013. Thieves broke into the Town Hall and stole the century old 18ct Gold and gemstone encrusted Mayoral Chain, estimated to be worth around £130,000. So possibly of greater value than the tonnes of iron chain missing in this latest Great Chain Robbery. This chain was never recovered, no-one was apprehended and the belief is that the gems (sapphires) and other semi-precious stones were removed and then sold, and the rest of the heavy gold chain melted down and sold. Or, it was taken and kept, so that some ‘wannabee Marlborough Mayor’ can wear it in private and gloat at their audacious act by revelling in their appearance when wearing the chain in front of a mirror. Or perhaps not……

One theory (hope?) was that maybe, Marlborough, might have a ‘Pickles moment‘ where the chain could be found wrapped in a carrier bag(?) in a hedge? ‘Pickles’ was the dog that discovered the solid gold ‘Jules Rimet’ World Cup trophy in 1966, found wrapped in a newspaper in a South London street a week after it was stolen and a few months before the World Cup was held in – and won by – England. Just a hope.

So when were the chains around the Green and War Memorial taken (or removed)? By using a combination of images from our photo archives, and dated Google Streetview the chains around The Green went between August 2011 and November 2013. For the London Rd War Memorial they were still there quite recently, in February 2023. But by September, a few months later they had all gone.

Marlborough’s ‘Great Chain Robberies’. Both still unsolved and unexplained mysteries……